The Kolb Diaries: Chapter 4
From Bright Angel To Needles California

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It was Thursday, l6 November, two months and eight days after they had set out from Green River, Wyoming when they stored their gear in a miner's tunnel close by Rust's Camp where it would be safe until they continued the trip to Needles in a week or ten days. Next morning they made a five-minute run through the rapids at Bright Angel Creek and around a bend to the foot of Bright Angel Trail. Two guides from El Tovar Hotel hailed them and a few old friends welcomed them. Tourists on the trail above waved their hats and the two brothers began the hard, fast climb to the top and home.

One of the guides told Emery that Blanche had been sick ever since he left the Canyon. Unknown to Emery, Blanche was pregnant and in serious condition. At first she assumed the problem to be the usual morning sickness, but during the last few weeks she suffered considerable pain and spent most of her time in bed unable to write. She forbade Ernest to advise Emery which explained why Emery received so little mail.[1]

Emery began the eight-mile climb up the trail at once. Tourists coming to the river offered the use of their mules, but these were too slow and he ran on. Ernest came down to greet them and little Edith, Emery's four-year-old daughter, ran from the studio crying, "Daddy Daddy," then paused and looked hard. "Is that my daddy with all those whiskers?" Emery grabbed her up and hugged and kissed her before he answered. "It most certainly is your daddy and he is sure glad to be home with his little girl."

Emery left with Blanche and Edith on the next train for the hospital in Los Angeles. Had the river trip delayed Emery another day it could possibly have cost Blanche's life. Though weak, she survived and Emery remained at her side until he felt her health had improved enough for him to leave, and then only at her insistence. He left her in the care of a dependable and qualified nurse and returned to the Grand Canyon to carry out other business before going back to the river. Their hopes for a large family came abruptly to an end.

The Coconino Sun ran an article on the front page of the Friday, November 24, 1911 issue of their paper:

KOLB BROTHERS REACH GRAND CANYON

Tired and wet, but happy, Emory C. and Ellsworth L. Kolb arrived at Grand Canyon Saturday after a 900-mile contest with the rapids of the Green and Colorado rivers during their journey from Green River, Wyoming to the gulf.

The little boat in which they made the trip was in good condition.

The Kolbs had but one upset. In Soap Creek rapids they were over-turned by the rushing water and drifted down half a mile, holding to the boat before they could right it. It was the place that three members of the Brown exploring expedition lost their lives.

The Socdolager section, supposed to be the worst of the entire trip was passed in safety.

Again the Kolb Brother searched for a third man to make the balance of the trip. Ernest begged to go, but both his brothers thought better of it. At his insistance they permitted him to to go as far as Bass Trail with them, but there he would have to return and take care of business at the studio.

The choice for the extra man went to Hubert F. Lauzon a young man who came west with his parents in the late nineteenth century. He became interested in mining and made his way to Arizona where he worked at a mine in Tombstone, later moving on to Yuma and Courtland, Arizona. He arrived at Grand Canyon in 1910 and worked for W. W. Bass driving the stage from Ashfork to Bass Camp. At heart he remained a miner and prospector and this interest prompted him to apply for the job with the Kolb brothers. What better way could be found, he reasoned, to locate the possible mineral deposits in the Canyon than by a boat trip through it? Emery and Ellsworth knew Lauzon, whose youth, personality and vigor appealed to them.

Lauzon saddled his horse and rode from the old Bass Cabin to the head of Bright Angel Trail to join the Kolb brothers on 17 December while snow fell in large flakes that covered the ground completely before he reached the studio. The men spent the following morning getting ready and that afternoon Lauzon and Ernest Kolb finished packing the horses with supplies and headed down the trail. A foot of snow lay at the rim but only a couple inches covered the ground when they reached Indian Gardens. They arrived late and Ernest took the horses up to the half-way house while Lauzon unrolled his bed and spent the night in the open.[2]

On December 18, 1911 Emery wrote Blanche:

This morning I regestered you some money, hope you get it ok. Yes I think I have been getting all of your letters, and they are a comfort to me. I don't know anytime in our life that I longed to be with you as I have since coming back. I guess it is because everything is in such a confusion that I am nervous and nead your petting. I guess when we get started I can through some of this lonesomness off. It is genuine winter and 1/2 ft. of snow. The snow went clear down to the gardens. We sent Earnest & our man down with a load to the boats this evening and Ed & we I expect to get a man & mule from El Tovar to pack the rest of our goods in the morning. Bass is going to take provisions for us down his trail and Earnest will come out there . . . . It is still snowing but we will likely leave in the morning anyway just so as to get our start, then the balance comes easier . . . .

The snow keeps falling but we have ordered our mule for 7-30 am . . . . I feel better this eve since we have things straightened up and if we get started in the morning we will be happy. This is all for tonight dear and I'll leave this little space below for morning to let you know if we get off.

Good night girlie

"Good Morning"

As this morning is clear I guess we are now off for sure, so good by sweetheart and don't worry for we will soon be together again . . . .

On 19 December the Kolb brothers started through the drifts with the pack mules. Emery took a picture of his brother waving his hat as he began the descent to the river. The crew of four left from the foot of Bright Angel Trail at 2 P.M. 19 December l9ll on the last lap of their trip. Ernest took pictures of the first boat pushing off into the river then climbed into the second. A number of people stood on the ledge above waving farewell, but by the time they reached the first large rapid visible from the plateau only one person remained there.[3]

The first day they traveled only two miles and camped in a side canyon just opposite the grave of the old prospector whose skeleton Emery and Ellsworth found in 1906.[4] Next morning Emery and Ellsworth climbed up to find the grave. The distance was farther than they remembered and anxious to be on their way, they returned to the boats without reaching it.

In calm water Ernest and Bert Lauzon sat on the boat decks. but at the approach of rapids they got off and walked along shore to the foot where they reboarded after the boats ran through. Bert would position himself near the bottom of a cataract with a rope and life preserver in case of an accident while Ernest operated the camera taking pictures of his brothers making the run. The boats dipped up and down in the waves and were out of sight frequently, offering some good action on film. When the walls of the canyon came to the waters edge and left no shoreline it proved necessary for passengers to ride out the rough water, then they lay across the deck and hung on as if their lives depended upon it.

They ran into trouble the third day out when they came on a rapid that appeared smooth but fast-moving. The current running toward the south wall of the canyon did not look bad and neither of the boatmen made an examination other than what they could see from the boats.[5] With the passangers riding on decks, the Defiance took the lead, and traveling quickly, missed all the obstructions without even a bump until near the foot of the rapid. Here water shot over a submerged rock and formed a reverse whirl that rolled upstream and out to all sides. This action created a vacuum on the downstream side, causing the water to disappear as though it were being poured down a hole. The swirl caught Ellsworth's boat crosswise to the current. The waves on all sides knocked him back and forth and he was unable to pull clear. Water gradually filled the cockpit and Ernest clung to the life ropes around the deck with all his might, slipping first from one side to the other and praying all the prayers he knew. Ellsworth pulled Ernest off the deck and into the half filled cockpit just as a large wave washed over them, filling the boat to the gunwale. TheDefiance sunk lower and water pouring over the rock hit them with all its force. The Defiance upset. It happened so quickly neither of the men had a chance to grab the sides of the boat and they both went overboard. Ernest, wearing two life preservers, came up thirty feet downstream, swimming as best he could considering his heavy water-soaked winter clothing and hightop shoes.

Emery in the Edith missed the rock and landed a short distance below the trap that confined his brothers. Lauzon clambered onto the stern of the Edith, beached at the foot of the rapid, grabbed Ernest as he came by and pulled him in.[6] Ellsworth caught hold of the Defiance that had finally broken free from the whirlpool and headed toward the wall still upside down. For a moment it looked as though he would be crushed, but the onrush of water threw him free. By this time Emery launched his boat and pulling hard on the oars reached Ellsworth who had climbed up onto the bottom of the Defiance . He gave a loud cheer declaring he had made it through with his skin. The cheering ended when someone yelled to him, "There goes your hatch cover. You've lost the motion picture camera."

They landed on the north side of the river and unloaded the cargo to dry. After its last use they had hurriedly shoved the motion picture camera into the hatch and in the turbulence it had shifted an inch and caught on the opening. This inch kept it from falling into the river. The accident ruined the film inside, but it was not wasted as it came in handy as kindling to start a fire. With no desire to camp at the place of their upset, they reloaded and moved on.

The voyagers ran six more cataracts, without trouble before they reached Bass Cable where at 1:30 that afternoon three men camped at the foot of Bass Trail hailed them.[7] One was Maurice, Bert Lauzon's brother, and another was Cecil Dodd, one of the Bass cowhands. The third was John Norberg, an old friend who had lived around the Canyon for many years.

Emery went to work drying the motion picture camera and when finished he decided to add a little spice to their trip by filming a drama. They selected John Norberg to play the villain, supposedly attempting to get away from the law. He was to slip down the trail a short distance and try to escape in the boat tied beneath the cable. According to the plot, the boat belonged to a couple of mining engineers making a survey of the area. Looking furtively about him, the thief pushed off into the river to make his getaway. As he pulled away the sheriff entered the scene, spied the culprit, and took off with the engineers in the other boat. The camera focused on the escapee struggling with the oars, drifting downriver toward the mouth of Shinumo Creek. Here the show ended with the sheriff apprehending the crook. Unfortunately, the drama would never be presented on the silver screen, for in cleaning and drying the camera Emery forgot to check the lens. A drop of water caused the image on the film to fog. and the picture was a mere out-of-focus outline.

On 22 December Ernest climbed out of the canyon and carried with him the exposed film and plates and a letter to Blanche:

As usual we are a day or so late. Just landed here a 2 P.M. We are sending this out with Earnest.

There are 3 men here, old John and a brother of the fellow who is with us.

We are all in good order but in an upset lost all pictures we had made on our way. We saved the M.P. camera but it is not all together dried out yet. We ran some pretty bad rapids, some had to take the boys through with us as the walls were sheer.

I poked a hole in my boat but had it fixed in a jiffy this morning and we ran 6 big fellows this morning. . . .

I don't know for sure that we will come out at Peach Springs as we are not certain just where diamond Creek is.

The man we have now is just fine, he takes right hold and is good all round fellow. . . .

Emery wrote a letter to Ernest on a page torn from his journal on 24 December:

Dear Brother.

We did not get away the next day and here it is 1 PM today and just leaving. We found some trouble with our camera beside drying everything out. I hope you did not suffer with the cold the night you went up, and that you got into the house OK.

We made several rolls film which we are sending you from here. Please put it with the other up in the house, and be very carefull of it. We will likely send for it from Needles to be shipped to Calif. . . .

Mail this to Blanche.

E & I wish you a merry Xmas ducking.

Dear Blanche

You can see by this we are not making the best headway but the pictures we have got here will go out dry. Tomorrow is Xmas and I hope you have a good time. . . .

We are just now giving a meal for the three actors and we three.

Love and best wishes to you all. . . .

Early in the afternoon on the twenty-fourth they arrived at Waltenberg Rapid and landed to inspect the river for a channel they could pass through. Lauzon walked to the bottom of the cataract with his rope and life preserver ready in case he was needed. Ellsworth started out in the Defiance with Emery close behind. Before traveling twenty feet Emery's boat landed in a nest of rocks where he worked frantically to get free. Ellsworth managed to get a little further before he ran into trouble when the Defiance struck a rock, recoiled in the backlash and turned over. The blow threw Ellsworth out and the current carried him down into a falls in waves twenty feet high dashing through the boulder-strewn river. Emery, having freed theEdith, dashed madly downriver, tempting fate in an attempt to rescue his brother. In his haste he ran onto one of the half-submerged rocks and punched a hole in the side of the boat large enough to crawl through. With the water pouring into the cockpit, he managed to pull to the rocky bank and climb out and scramble up in the attempt to see his brother. Ellsworth had swum to a boulder at the edge of the river below where Emery stood, his boat running free headed toward another cataract. Here Lauzon earned his pay. He jumped into the icy water and swam out to the runaway Defiance just before she took the plunge over the falls. With only a few hours boating experience, he rowed across the river to rescue the two brothers from the rocks where they were ensconced. Grinning widely, he quipped, "We're losing a chance to take a lot of good pictures." They all clambered into Ellsworth's boat, rowed across to the other side of the river to a sandy beach, and built a huge fire to thaw out. All this happened in sub-zero temperature with ice forming in the quiet pools along the bank.[8]

Emery spent Christmas day repairing the Edith with bits of mesquite wood, a piece of tin, and some canvas. Ellsworth and Lauzon painted a big sign on a piece of wrapping paper that read `Merry Christmas' and hung it over the boat and took a picture while Emery put the finishing touches on his handywork. The boat was good as new and ready to continue on the next morning. The rain at the bottom of the canyon was snow at the rim, and by the morning of 29 December the ground was white down to within 300 feet above them, a rare occurrence. Ice covered all the rocks close to the river. As Ellsworth and Bert busied themselves about camp, Emery took the motion picture camera apart and once more dried and repaired it. The weather cleared in the afternoon and they hurriedly broke camp and drifted down the river in a swift current. In an hour they were at the mouth of Kanab Creek. It was here that Powell terminated his l871 voyage through the Canyon because of high water, which he felt made further descent too treacherous. A picture made at the time showed the Powell boats well up into the side canyon far above where the Kolb pulled their boats.

On leaving Bright Angel the brothers had cut the amount of supplies stowed on board the two boats to a minimum because of the additional passengers. Bill Bass had packed additional supplies at Bass Trail; unfortunately the grocer who filled their order shorted them, consequently by this time the supply of food ran low. At the mouth of Havasu Canyon where it was possible to climb out over a rather difficult trail they made an inventory. Determining the supply sufficient to reach Diamond Creek, the next possible and easier exit they continued downriver.

The weather remained very cold and water splashed on their clothes froze almost as soon as it hit. New Year's Day dawned with a little respite from the cold and they made an early start. The canyon walls rose straight from the water's edge. Many stretches formed perfect aisles that extended for a mile without a crook or turn. Several times Emery brought out the cameras and made pictures as the three proceeded through what might be the most scenic part of the inner gorge of Grand Canyon.

They made Camp at Lava Falls, possibly the worst of all the rapids on the Colorado River. Major Powell entered in his journal on 25 August 1869:

Great quantities of cooled lava and many cinder cones are seen on either side; and then we come to an abrupt cataract. Just over the fall on the right wall a cinder cone, or an extinct volcano, with a well-defined crater, stands on the very brink of the canyon...

What a conflict of water and fire there must have been here! Just imagine a river of molten rock running down into a river of melted snow. What a seething and boiling of the waters; what clouds of steam rolled into the heavens!

After unloading all the duffle they lined the boats through the rocks at the left side. The ice on the rocks, made the task difficult, but they completed the job in two hours. They portaged the lower section of Lava Falls the next day by pulling the empty boats over the ice-covered rocks and letting them down gradually into the water below.

The river continued with more of the same, rapids and a constant series of rock-strewn waters. A nearly full moon brightened the gorge during the nights and the weather warmed although ice still formed in quiet pools along the edges of the river. Smooth water brought them to Diamond Creek, where they ate lunch of what little was left. After eating they packed film and plates preparing for a hike the next day to Peach Springs, a small town on the rim where they hoped to replenish their supplies that now consisted of five pounds of partly wet and crusted flour, two pounds of mildewed Cream of Wheat, three or four rusty cans of dried beef, and less than one pound of sugar.[9]

A half-mile from the river they passed an abandoned house that a man named Farley had operated years before as the first tourist hotel at the Canyon. From here they followed the right branch of the canyon and gradually picked their way uphill. It was after dark when the three tired and hungry travelers arrived at Peach Springs.

Emery sent a telegram to his brother Ernest at Grand Canyon:

Peach Springs Ariz. Jan 5-1912

Mr. Ernest Kolb

Grand Canyon

Camped at Diamond Creek out here for provisions All well Telegraph news here at once Expect to reach Needles fourteenth two more upsets one bad rapid to line yet Rest all easy Send day message Letter follows

Kolb Bros.

Then he wrote his wife:

Our flour getting wet we had to walk out here and replenish. Sent you a telegram last night and hope to hear some favorable news from you.

We walked 22 miles and climbed over 5000 ft in it.

Each carried 20 lb. films which we will ship from here. We have one more bad rapid which we have to line. Sorry we had to loose the time coming here. We have had plenty excitment since leaving B.A. One upset with Ed & Earnest before reaching Basses.

Then Christmas eve was the worst we had on the whole trip. Ed upset and was floating down the river. I started right after him and smashed a hole in my boat large enough to crawl through. Bert Lauzon the fellow with us was Johnnie on the spot and swam out in the ice cold water and got in the boat. We were all seperated for a while but finally got together in a little corner.

Christmas we repaired my boat which is as good as new.

We will not have much difficulty from here on except one rapid we have to line .

The extreme low water will likely give us trouble on sand bars below. We have figured on getting out the 14th. A long time I know but then it will be over with. We lost quite a lot of pictures and M.P. Camera got wet a couple of times so we could not operate but on the whole feel very well satisfied.

How is my little Edith? Tell her to be good girl and Dad will come home soon. It has been bitter cold. Rocks covered with ice and would freeze on ones clothes as soon as sprayed on us. We have not suffered much though.

Write me to Needles. . . .

It was difficult to find a place to stay in Peach Springs The people living in the village hesitated to take in strangers. After what seemed a futile search, a family named Nelson gave them a bed and furnished supper and breakfast.

That night the temperature hovered below zero, and they were thankful the Nelsons were kind enough to offer a place in their home where the warmth of the cook stove offered comfort. The Nelson boys, John and Will, stated they would like to see them run a rapid and persuaded the Kolbs to delay going back to the river for a day. Bert Lauzon helped pay for their room and board by working around the barn during the day shoeing horses and doing other tasks.

Emery wrote Blanche on a few sheets of paper torn from his journal notebook:

Peach Springs. Jan 6th. 12.

Dear Blanche.-

I find I have time to write again. I got your good message and would have said to write had I known we would not have got away until morning. The walk in was too much for Ed. He had rather a tight shoe and is a little lame today. There is nothing here but one family out side the R.R. people and no one wants to sell any thing or keep any one over night but finally got fixed out. A couple cowboys are going in to the river with us so we may have a chance to get some thing carried for us. The walk does not bother me at all. Our new man is certainly a dandy. I have not cooked a meal since we started and he is as nervy as they make them. He is a French Canadian. You may rember him as he worked for Bass. On Christmas we painted a sign and took some pictures with it in as we repaired my boat. (Merry Xmas)

It was just one whack and the boat kept on going but in that one it broke all the boards clear down the side and 2 ft. long. Edith is ok now though as she does not leak a bit. I am the ships carpenter. Having Bert along makes things fine and we are all in better condition than on reaching B.A.

Glad you were not up at the canyon to suffer this cold. 17deg. below zero at Kingman and it is low compared to B.A. Well I don't know anything more and as the train is coming I'll mail this. so good by dear be good once more.

The Nelsons furnished them with some provisions and on the morning of 7 January they packed the supplies and the five men started down the trail. The sun during the day warmed enough to melt the snow, and walking in the cold slushy water caused Ellsworth's feet to swell, aggravating the condition brought on earlier by the icy water in his boat. After trying their luck at catching some fish the three travelers ran the rapid at hand to demonstrate how it was done for the Nelson boys. They waved goodbye and continued on their journey.

A mile or two further downriver the canyon shrunk to its narrowest width. The current ran down like a funnel, making the swiftest and the highest water encountered, but it proved easy to run.

Just before lunch on 10 January they reached another falls where they could see upriver a magnificent view of the whole morning's run. The scenery in the area was rugged with steep walls rising out of a very narrow river. Below, the water ran swiftly through the turning channel, and ahead was a lava-capped escarpment which they determined to be the "bad rapid" mentioned by Julius Stone and the rapid Powell had named Separation and recorded in his journal of 27 August 1869:

. . . we come to a place which seems much worse than any we have yet met in all its course... to run it would be destruction. . . .

After supper Captain Howland asks to talk with me... Talking with him I learn that he, his brother, and William Dunn have determined to go no further in the boats. . .

All night long I pace up and down a little path, on a few yards of sand beach by the river. Is it wise to go on?. . . [10]

At last day light comes and we have breakfast without a word being said about the future. The meal is as solemn as a funeral. After breakfast I ask the three men if they still think it best to leave us. The elder Howland thinks it is and Dunn agrees with him. The younger Howland tries to persuade them to go on with the party; failing in which, he decides to go with his brother. . . .

Two rifles and a shotgun are given to the men who are going out. . . . I ask them to help themselves to rations. They refuse... but Billy the cook has a pan of biscuits for dinner, and these he leaves on a rock. . . . Some tears are shed; it is rather a solemn parting; each party thinks the other is taking a dangerous course. . . .

The three men climb a crag that overhangs the river to watch us off. . . . [11]

A beautiful little stream came in from the west. Sheer walls on the right side of the river made it impossible to get down there, and the Kolbs had to cross and land in a little corner just above the rapid. From here they crawled over the rocks and camped on some sand forty feet above the water. Emery spent most of the night tossing and turning while the roar from the rapids and the imagination of the terror it possessed kept him awake. This was possibly the most frightening rapid they had encountered in the whole series. If it was fear that had brought on the decision of the Howland brothers to leave the Powell expedition, Emery could see how the violence of the rushing water would aggravate it.

Early the next morning the three packed all the gear to the bottom, then began the task of lining the boats. They tied ropes to the stern and bow and, using the strength of all three men, carefully lined the Defiance through the obstructions to where her stern could be pulled onto a log placed between two rocks above the tremendous force of water gushing between them. Then they brought the boat entirely out of the water and slid it down on the other side. Twelve boulders ran full width of the river here with the water surging forcefully between them, it was necessary to maneuver the boat into position to make the next drop down. They had no problem getting the boat behind the rock where they stood, but then they had to prevent the suction of the water from drawing the Defiance under the rock when she dropped on the other side. To accomplishe this they wedged a log below her and lifted the 700-pound boat up and over. It was extremely hard work. Ellsworth strained his back and all three were glad to see the Defiance safely below them. Although Lauzon had a bad cut in the palm of his left hand and was not able to use it well, he continued working without a word of complaint. They ran the remainder of the rapid in the normal way.

In one of the side canyons they discovered a cross tied together with a rope and "E.C. and N.B. 1898" cut into the wood with a knife. No one knows who these men were; no doubt they were prospectors who wandered in the Canyon looking for gold. How many other graves abound in the vastness of the Grand Canyon is uncertain.

One morning a curl of smoke coming from behind low brush at the top of a long sandy slope attracted the three wayfarers. They hastened to investigate. There in a hole covered with sticks and a blanket sat a small bearded and tattered prospector holding a frying pan over some coals. He neither saw nor heard the three approach until Emery called "Hello stranger." Entirely unstartled, with the pan scarcely moving, he slowly turned toward them. "Well" he said,"you fellers must have come down the river." Pointing toward the water he continued, "I went over yon rapids myself one time, but not on purpose. Me and my brother loaded some copper ore on a log raft upriver a ways, couldn't land and was sucked right into that big rapid." His voice lowered, "I was sure scared and got down on my knees to pray. My brother is mean bad man. He's awful mean. He began swearing at me somethin' turrible." He said 'God damn you, this ain't no place to pray, you git up here and use an oar.' I did and was near washed off a couple of times, but we made it and landed before the next big one yonder. Yep! my brother is sure a mean man." The old man offered them some bacon, but his supply appeared limited and they refused it, returned to their boats and headed on downriver. The old prospector watched them out of sight around a bend.[12]

Thirteen January 1912 was one of the happiest days the travelers had known for some time. Starting at 8:15 that morning they had gone only a short distance before they knew they had reached the end of the canyon. After passing Pierce Ferry they saw a great number of cattle tracks and a short distance more brought them to Scanlon Ferry.[13] In this unlikely place they found a small house with a garden where possibly a they could obtain a few supplies to get them to Needles. The rancher let them have a fine rooster, two dozen eggs, eleven pounds of flour and five pounds of honey for the meager sum of $2.50. They ate most of the honey before leaving and bought another jar.

The only problem encountered in the next few days was shallow water where the boats hung up on shoals in Black Canyon and had to be pushed free, the first time this had happened since the beginning of the trip. The weather now turned warmer and life became less hectic making it possible to relax and enjoy the journey. On 16 January they arrived at a mining dredge and although the office was closed, they found a telephone and called the operator in the little town of Search Light, Nevada, to send a telegram to advise Blanche they were safely out of the canyon and only a short distance from Needles. About two days more and the journey would be over.

At 12:30 in the afternoon, 18 January 1912 the three weary and bedraggled boatmen pulled their boats under the bridge at Needles, California.[14] The Kolb brothers had completed their long trip that had started on 9 September 1911 at Green River, Wyoming after a total of one hundred and one days on the river. Emery and Ellsworth had traveled nearly 1,200 miles, gone through 365 big rapids and countless small ones, with a total descent of more than 5,000 feet. Emery did not go on to the mouth of the Colorado River but Ellsworth was determined to make the entire trip, and a year later he completed the journey alone in a boat he purchased from an Indian.

Lauzon mentioned later that he never realized his hope of looking for mineral deposits, saying "I was lucky to get out with my hide." He recalled that during the entire month spent in the canyon with the severe cold weather and many mishaps encountered, never had anyone at any time lifted his voice or spoken a harsh word. This impressed him as being most unusual under the circumstances.[15]

The Coconino Sun ran an article on the front page of the 26 January 1912 issue of the paper that read:

KOLB BROTHERR COMPLETE PERILOUS JOURNEY

A letter from Elmer [Emery] Kolb, now in Los Angeles, says that he with his brother and Bert Lanzon landed at Needles, California, on the Colorado with their boats, January 18th, having made the trip from Bright Angel trail down the perilous river in safety. The trip to the end of the canyon was made extremely difficult on account of cold weather, though no accidents occurred. The two boats arrived in fair condition after having shot rapids and weathered the swift and dangerous river. The boats will be kept as souvenirs of the hazzardous trip, a trip through which no others except Major Powell, ever made. The Kolb brothers are to be congratulated on the successful culmination of a voyage that will make them famous, aside from the great vulue of the first moving pictures ever taken of the world's famous Canyon stream.

A letter addressed to Emery Kolb from Charles Russell is of interest as a climax to the trip. It is as follows:

June 28. 1913

Dear Sir.-

I have heard of your trip through the Grand Canyon taking pictures and moving pictures but I understand you did not make a complete success of it.

Now don't you think there would be a good lot of money in making a successful trip through and take enough stationary views of the canyons to give a comprehensive idea of the entire line of canyons; that is by taking them close enough together so that they would show the entire line of canyons. This would mean taking nearly 4000 views. These views could be colored and shown in regular order through the picture machines and at the proper place the moving picture of the boats shooting the rapids?

My idea would be to start at Green River Utah and finish at Needles, Cal. There are about 600 rapids on that stretch of river and making a low estimate of 50 ft. of film to each rapid. They should yield 30000 ft of moving pictures.

By making this trip in July of 1914 it could be finished by December and the pictures could be ready for the fairs in Frisco & San Diego in 1915.

A complete set of stationary views such as that would be would find a ready sale to many people and to institutions, and concessions for the showing of the pictures at the fairs should bring a handsome return I think. You see it would require at least 4 different shows to show it all. Say one for Labyrinth, Stillwater & Cataract Canyons. One for Marble, and probably 2 at least for the Grand Canyon and it would be a show at which the price of admission would be at least 25cents instead of the usual 5 & 10cents shows.

It would be a record of the Grand Canyon that very likely no one else could ever get.

If you think this is worth doing let me have your opinion about it.

I have made this proposition to several moving picture firms but to them I offered to furnish boats men and provisions for the trip and take it through for $10000.

Now if you think we can make more out of it ourselves let me know.

Or if you don't think it would pay probably you can enter into negotiations with some outfit to furnish them with the films and photos for a certain price. You would probably have a better idea than I would what that price should be as I know very little about the cost of films & taking pictures.

I am willing as stated above to furnish boats men and provisions for the trip for $10000 and take the party through. You can probably calculate what the 3 or 4000 stationary view would be worth and the 30 to 60000 ft of films.

I am satisfied going properly equipped we can make a successful trip. As I understand you were not making any money out of your other pictures, but that is easily explained. You made too many portages and did not run the worst rapids which would have made the best pictures, and you were not properly equipped anyway for that kind of a trip. In our other trip we made only 8 portages and had the river been higher could have ran some of the ones we portaged. Probably going in July when the river is higher we would not need to make more than 3 or 4 portages.

Awaiting your reply I remain

Very truly yours

Charles Russell

Ellsworth replied to Russell's letter on 15 September 1913:

Mr. Chas. Russell.

Mexico.

Dear Sir:-

Your kind favor was received a great while ago but we neglected answering for several reasons: the principal one being that we were very busy adding new material to our films. We have just returned from an extended trip among the Hopi and Navajo. Before that the writer took a little trip from Needles to the Gulf.

We beg leave to state that we are hardly interested in your Exposition proposition. We thrashed that out long ago and concluded people were looking for 20 minute stuff when there; not an extended show. We may be mistaken but imagine it would be a loosing proposition. We had many such offers as yours in regard to buying films but no firm would take more than 1000 ft., and no two firms will buy the same line of stuff if they know it. As for a continuous line of stuff Mr. Stone has such a collection: 2200 subjects. Few people care to look at so many pictures as only about one in twenty made an interesting or artistic picture. We prefeered to pick our pictures and have about 600 subjects, about 400 of these being real pictures according to competent critics. Composing pictures and getting proper exposures in our still pictures was usually easy, for that has been our work for some time.

We had our troubles with the motion pictures, partly on account of our inexperience, principally on account of the poor light in Dec & Jan. The most experienced operator, however will have trouble on such a trip. You quite likely know something of the difficulties to be met with.

At that, what film we have is meeting with hearty reception before many of the foremost societies and clubs in the East including such as the American Geographic Society of Washington, D.C. and the Buffalo Academy of Arts and Sciences.

We take the liberty of dissagreeing with you on one or two subjects. We infer that you think your boat was the right type. Our own observation is that every person who has gone through and lived is certain that his boat was about right. In speaking of your trip we always gave you credit for having unlimited nerve for attempting it in such a boat. We believe you have a record of starting with three boats and loosing them all before you had covered half the rapids, and only recovered the last one by chance.

Three parties have used boats similar to ours- Galloway, Stone, and ourselves. Every boat but one finished at Needles. This one is at Hite; in perfect condition. I saw Galloway's boat at Parker two months ago, looking as good as new. When my brother and I go down again we will use the same boats we used on our first trip.

You also seem to infer that, because we got through we failed to run the rapids. Without farther comment we will give you a little data, which we assure you is the truth.

1. We ran every thing in Cataract Canyon making it in four days running and with out any trouble.

2. We have a motion picture of running Soap Creek Rapid in Marble Canyon but failed to catch the upset which occured. We made one portage in Marble. The 5th big rapid below Soap Creek.

3. We ran one boat over Hance Rapid after portaging the first boat. We ran every thing but seven rapids in Grand Canyon below Hance. These seven were

1. One mile above Tapeats Creek.

2. Lava Falls

3. A narrow rapid about 15 miles below Lava F.

4. A rapid about 5 miles below Diamond Creek - ran the upper 3/4s-made a little portage.

5. Two miles below- lined a rapid.

6. Lined the middle part of rapid where Powell's men left.

7. Portaged big rapid below lava capped rock on right.

This is our record. Some of the rapids we ran made fairly good pictures. They would be better in a good light. We lost all motion pictures between B.A. Trail & Kanab. We have still pictures of running at least 30 of the biggest rapids. This includes Hance, Monument and Hermit Creek which are not the biggest however. We had four upsets. 1 in Soap Creek.

2. Above Bass in a little rapid of no importance, due to carlessness on my part.

3. 4 miles below Bass. Almost fatal to me. My brother smashed his boat coming to my assistance. Boat was repaired Xmas day and is as good as new.

Last upset in a short rapid in a short granite section with two waves.

To refer to the pictures again you might write to Galloway. He has been offering his services with boats for $3000.00 to the Motion Picture Co's. but so far with out a taker; they don't consider it important enough.

We expect to do some of it over again in the summer, so as to get a good light. We will take a cook and a motion picture operator.

We recently succeeded in getting into Rainbow Natural Bridge with our M.P. Camera, and went down to the river at that point. If you should be going down at any time we might help you locate the Bridge.

You will be pleased to learn that our show is succeeding, but it takes more variety than a mere river trip to make it do so.

Thanking you for your interest and with best wishes I am

Very truly yours

Ellsworth L. Kolb.

Dec. 20, 1913

Mr. Ellsworth Kolb.

Grand Canyon Ariz.

Dear Sir.-

If your statements are true as you say they are I was certainly misinformed about your pictures.

I was told you had made nearly 150 portages and I knew that if that was so you had not run the worst rapids which would have made the best pictures.

I was also told that your moving pictures were no good.

But if your statements are true as you say they are I see no reason for making another trip. So I have decided to abandon my project.

Although I had one fairly good offer from one moving picture concern. But of course if your pictures are doing well I see no reason for trying to secure any more.

The next time I should chance to be in the United States I should be pleased to see your pictures.

With best wishes, I remain[16]

Yours very truly

Charles Russell

This trip through the canyons of the Colorado River would be the turning point in the lives of the Kolb brothers and would lead them to fame and fortune throughout the entire United States. Together they had brought a dream into reality.

[1] Interview with Gale Burak.

[2] Lauzon's journal entry December 18.

[3] Emery Kolb's journal entry 19 December 1911.

[4] The skeleton was not the one found later in the Kolb garage.

[5] Tuna Creek Rapid. Journal entries for December 21.

[6] From the description it sounds like it was the 100 mile mark just below Tuna Creek Rapid. Hubert R. Lauzon's journal entry 21 December 1911.

[7] Journal entries December 22.

[8] Journal entries December 24.

[9] E.L. Kolb, Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico, page 257.

[10] Powell's journal entry 28 August 1869.

[11] According to Ellsworth Kolb, it was hardly feasible that the Howland brothers left the Powell expedition because of cowardice of this one rapid. Kolb believes it was more a matter of a difference of opinion between them and Powell on a number of matters. These men had both been trappers and hunters and had gone through canyons with Powell which were far worse than the one they faced here.

[12] An unpublished article for the Readers Digest by Emery Kolb.

[13] Journal enteries January 13.

[14] Journal enteries January 18.

[15] Interview with Hubert F. Lauzon of Ash Fork, Arizona, on November l7, l988.

[16] Russell apparently was not satisfied with the idea of not taking pictures of the Canyon and later managed to get to gether a crew for the purpose, lost his boats and film. Later went insane.